Prairie Dog, from Quadrupeds series (N41) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the whimsical world of 19th advertising with *Prairie Dog* from Allen & Ginter's Quadrupeds series (N41 a delightful 1890 commercial color lithograph. Produced by the pioneering tobacco company Allen & Ginter in collaboration with lithographers Lindner, Eddy Claus, this tiny card (just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches) was tucked into cigarette packs as a collectible insert, sparking a craze for trading cards among Americans. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized mass printing with its vibrant, multi-layered colors applied from stone plates—perfect for capturing the prairie dog's alert pose and furry details in vivid realism. Issued during the Gilded Age boom in consumer culture, these ephemera cards blended education and promotion, showcasing North American wildlife to entice smokers and young collectors alike. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece highlights the artistry of everyday objects. It reflects a growing fascination with natural history amid westward expansion, turning a burrowing rodent into an icon of popular printmaking innovation. A charming glimpse into how commerce fueled visual delight!

About the Artist

Allen & Ginter|Lindner, Eddy & Claus

Allen & Ginter, the pioneering American tobacco firm based in Richmond, Virginia, emerged around 1880 from the partnership of John F. Allen and Lewis Ginter, evolving from Allen's earlier John F. Allen & Company. Allen retired in 1882, succeeded by John Pope, yet the brand endured under Ginter's leadership, employing over 1,100 workers—mostly women—for hand-rolled cigarettes by 1886. Ginter, a Dut...